ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Eckerd College softball head coach
Josh Beauregard solidified his status in the program's history as his team salvaged a split against Georgia Southwestern State University on Tuesday night.
Thanks to a pair of clutch extra-base hits by junior
Sydney Dinelli, the Tritons (14-14, 3-6 SSC) bounced back to win game two, 8-5, after getting edged out in the opener by the Hurricanes (16-12, 1-3 PBC), 4-3.
After racking up his 100th career win on Feb. 28 vs. Nova Southeastern University, Beauregard claimed his 104th victory to close out the night, officially making him the all-time winningest coach in the program's history.
Beauregard passed Nancy Roby, who assembled 103 wins from 1991 to 1998. He is the sixth coach in the program's 24-year history since its inception.
Senior
Chelsea Jeffares crushed her first career home run, a solo shot in game two, as the Tritons snapped 1-1 and 5-5 ties at different points in the finale.
Game 1 – Georgia Southwestern State 4, Eckerd 3
A potential game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning was gunned down at the plate to end a bid by the Tritons to force extra innings.
After GSW came into today's game with 18 home runs as a unit, the Hurricanes' endorsed their power billing with back-to-back solo blasts in the sixth frame off the bats of Nellie Moore and Keri Tompkins.
Earlier, Jordan Miller hit a home run to open up the scoring in the second inning before the Tritons flipped the script and threw a scare into the Hurricanes to end it.
The Tritons loaded the bases up, threatening to end it in walk-off style in the seventh, but Jeffares was tagged out on the throw home on an RBI single by sophomore
Kaycie Duncan as she tried to elude the tag.
Game 2 – Eckerd 8, Georgia Southwestern State 5
Dinelli ripped respective RBI doubles at key junctures to help the Tritons pound out 10 hits against GSW starter Ashley Cavender.
Junior starting pitcher
Amber Hay struck out the side, all swinging, to end the top of the third before she was lifted later for
Erin Dixson. Dixson finished the final two innings to earn the winning decision.
Sophomore
Kara Oberer also doubled twice as Dinelli totaled three RBI.
Back-to-back throwing errors, including an airmailed throw out of play, brought in two runs during a four-run third inning. Dinelli found the gap with a two-run double to snap a 1-1 tie earlier in the inning.
Dinelli's eventual game-winning extra base hit gave the Tritons a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning.
Up Next: The Tritons will complete a three-game Sunshine State Conference series this weekend against Lynn University in Boca Raton.
